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Place dossier plate
SheetMI-IONIA-MI · Ionia, MI 12,950 pop · income 36th pct · 16 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Ionia
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Ionia on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Escanaba · lowest
40,169
Escanaba · lowest
40,169 median HH income
23.3% of the leader · rank #1
High Falls · near
60,724
High Falls · near
60,724 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #2
Harrisonville · near
60,727
Harrisonville · near
60,727 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #3
Ionia · this city
60,729
Ionia · this city
60,729 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #4
Port Charlotte · near
60,729
Port Charlotte · near
60,729 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #5
Miles City · near
60,732
Miles City · near
60,732 median HH income
35.2% of the leader · rank #6
Lynnfield · highest
172,484
Lynnfield · highest
172,484 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Ionia on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 12,950.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Ionia - the verdict
Ionia ranks in the 36th percentile for household income and the 75th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
36th
percentile, household income
30th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
75th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Ionia, MI
12,950 people live in Ionia, Michigan - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Ionia households earn a median of $60,729 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.1%. Ionia's housing stock carries a median value of $161,100, and the median resident age is 38.2 years. About 11.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 45.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Ionia reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 739.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 47.1°F with 35.9 inches of precipitation per year and 54.2 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Michigan at 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,113 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $238 across Michigan, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Ionia's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to reported crime to climate and hazard context to work and mobility to within-city variation to comparison shortlist to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Ionia, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Ionia?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 10.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Ionia?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 739.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 68% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
PlainCities matches 16 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Ionia?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are Rochester (12,939 residents, $104,920 income); Woodhaven (12,761 residents, $83,291 income); Melvindale (12,605 residents, $41,356 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Newcastle, WA (12,945 residents); Somerville, NJ (12,958 residents); Bedford, OH (12,960 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Ionia?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 47.1°F, with 35.9 inches of precipitation and 54.2 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Michigan is 49.6 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
49.6
Annual precipitation
35.9 in
Mean temperature
47.1°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 67.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
67.7%
Work from home
5.2%
Public transit
7.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 5,045 workers age 16+.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 11.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
10.1%
Bachelor's degree+
11.8%
Matched public schools
1
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1,145 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -8.6% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
13,353
2025 estimate
12,208
Period change
-8.6%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 10.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.2 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
D
City profile score · Ionia, MI
40/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C
96.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime C-
185 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate F
10.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$60,729
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
11.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Ionia profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Violent crime: 50/100 (C-) · 185 /100k
Poverty rate: 39/100 (F) · 10.1%
Household income: 36/100 (F) · $60,729
Bachelor's+ share: 11/100 (F) · 11.8%
Where Ionia sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Ionia's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Ionia highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Ionia, MI (this city): home $161,100, crime 740/100k
Newcastle, WA : home $1,128,200, crime 2,319/100k
Somerville, NJ : home $403,600, crime 820/100k
Bedford, OH : home $124,900, crime 603/100k
Miami, OK : home $102,600, crime 3,381/100k
Lynnfield, MA : home $904,200, crime 955/100k
Festus, MO : home $206,200, crime 1,212/100k
Rochester, MI : home $450,800, crime 401/100k
Woodhaven, MI : home $221,200, crime 1,655/100k
Melvindale, MI : home $113,100, crime 1,467/100k
Sault Ste. Marie, MI : home $127,300, crime 1,510/100k
Escanaba, MI : home $116,600, crime 2,354/100k
Riverview, MI : home $200,500, crime 1,142/100k
How does Ionia compare to other US cities?
Ionia measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income36% higher than other cities
Home value30% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
Safety75% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Michigan and the picture shifts: Ionia ranks #75 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Ionia against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Michigan only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Michigan-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Ionia near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Ionia ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ionia only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#351 of 718
51st percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#327 of 721
55th percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#297 of 727
59th percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#555 of 727
23rd percentile in Michigan
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Michigan only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
36th percentile nationally for median household income · 75th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Ionia's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Ionia's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Ionia's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$161,100Among the most affordablemore affordable than 70% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Ionia's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#4,781 of 15,516
More affordable than 69% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#496 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.7×, Ionia sits in the affordable band:
national rank #4,781 of 15,516 and #496 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$60,729Ionia, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Ionia, MI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Ionia, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)11.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)10.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)45.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
12,950
Median Income
$60,729
Median Home Value
$161,100
Median Age
38.2
Poverty Rate
10.1%
Labor force participation
45.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
11.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
739.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
184.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
554.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
47.1°F
Annual Precipitation
35.9"
Annual Snowfall
54.2"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Ionia's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
13,353 residents
2021
12,944 residents
2022
12,909 residents
2023
12,217 residents
2024
12,235 residents
2025
12,208 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
67.7%
Carpool
12.3%
Public Transit
7.2%
Walk
5.9%
Work from Home
5.2%
Other
1.7%
Based on 5,045 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Michigan statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $238
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Michigan at $238 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Michigan statewide averages, not a meter reading for Ionia. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Michigan's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.2 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Ionia is $1,113/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Michigan statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Michigan statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Ionia sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Ionia compares to similar-size Michigan cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.